Attorneys

THOMAS D. FARRIS

Born Amarillo, Texas, January 30, 1951.  Admitted to bar, 1976, Texas; admitted to practice in U. S. District Court, Northern District of Texas; U. S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.

Education: University of Texas (B.A. with high honors, 1973; J.D. 1976), Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi. 

Member: Amarillo Bar Association (Secretary-Treasurer, 1981-1982, Director 1989-1990); State Bar of Texas, Texas Association of Defense Counsel.  Board Certified, Civil Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization. 

Civic: Christian Haven (Director). 

Practice Areas: Professional Liability; Medical Professional Liability; Products Liability; Personal Injury; Oil and Gas Litigation; Commercial Litigation; General Civil Litigation.

Board Certified Civil Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

ERNEST R. (JUD) FINNEY, JR.

Born Dallas, Texas, October 10, 1945.  Admitted to bar, 1970, Texas.

Education: Tulane University (B.A., 1967), and Texas Tech University (J.D., with honors, 1970). Phi Alpha Delta.  Member, Texas Tech University Law Review, 1968-1970.

Member: Amarillo Area Bar Association, American Bar Association, State Bar of Texas and Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation.

Practice Areas: Real Estate, Business Entities, Complex Business Transactions, Public Utility Law, Mergers and Acquisitions, Oil and Gas Law, and Water Law.

Not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

ROBERT D. FORRESTER

Born Amarillo, Texas, April 9, 1940. Admitted to bar, 1965, Texas.

Education: Amarillo College (A.S. 1960); University of Texas (B.B.A., with Honors, 1962; J.D. 1966). Phi Alpha Delta; Beta Alpha Psi. Author: Chapter 130 on Intestacy, Family Law, Texas Practice and Procedure, Matthew Bender & Co., 1982; Author: Chapter 19 on Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax, Texas Tax Service, Matthew Bender & Co., 1985. Certified Public Accountant, Texas, 1966. Tax Attorney, Office of General Counsel, U.S. Treasury  Department, Washington D.C., 1967-1971.

Member: Amarillo, Federal and American (Member, Sections of: Taxation; Corporation, Banking and Business Law) Bar Associations; State Bar of Texas. 

Practice Areas: Estate Planning Law; Taxation law; Business Organization Law; Wills and Estates Law.

Board Certified Probate, Estate Planning Law and Tax Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

CHRISTOPHER D. PARKER

Born Hereford, Texas, February 4, 1966.  Admitted to bar, 1991, Texas; admitted to practice in U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas.

Education: Texas Tech University (B.B.A., magna cum laude, 1988; J.D., cum laude, 1991).  Order of the Coif; Assistant Editor, Texas Tech Law Review.

Member: Amarillo Bar Association; State Bar of Texas; Texas Young Lawyers Association; Amarillo Area Young Lawyers Association; Texas Association of Defense Counsel; Defense Research Institute; Board Certified, Personal Injury Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Practice Areas: Products Liability; Insurance Coverage; Personal Injury; Commercial Litigation; Employment Law; General Civil Litigation.

Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

BARRY D. PETERSON

Born Wichita Falls, Texas, June 28, 1946.  Admitted to bar, 1972, Texas; admitted to practice in U. S. District Court, Northern District of Texas; U. S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. 

Education: Texas Tech University (B.S., 1969) and St. Mary's University (J.D., 1972), Phi Alpha Delta. 

Member: Amarillo Bar Association (Secretary, Treasurer 1975-1976); State Bar of Texas; Texas Association of Defense Counsel (Vice-President, 1998-2000); Texas Association of Defense Counsel (Director, 1989-1993; 1995-1999); Defense Research Institute; American Board of Trial Advocates (President, Panhandle South Plains Chapter, 1995-1996); College of the State Bar of Texas; Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.

Civic: Downtown Kiwanis Club (President, 1983-1984); Crimestoppers (Director, 1987-1989); Amarillo Symphony Board (President, 1999-2000); Deacon, First Baptist Church. 

Reported Cases: Texas Beef Group v. Oprah Winfrey, 201 F.3d 680 (5th Cir. 2000).

Practice Areas: Professional Liability and Malpractice; Medical Malpractice; Personal Injury; Products Liability; Insurance Coverage; Commercial Litigation; General Civil Litigation.

Not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

BART N. PRUITT

Born Lubbock, Texas, October 22, 1962.  Admitted to bar, 1988, Texas; 1990, Colorado; admitted to practice in U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas; U. S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. 

Education:  Lubbock Christian University (B.A., summa cum laude, 1985), and University of Texas (J.D., with honors, 1987), Alpha Chi.  National Finalist, National Mock Trial Competition.  Order of the Barristers; Who's Who Among American Law Students, 1986, 1987. 

Member:  Amarillo Bar Association; American Bar Association; State Bar of Texas; Texas Association of Defense Counsel.  Board Certified, Civil Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Practice Areas:  Commercial Litigation; Products Liability; Oil & Gas Law; Personal Injury; General Civil Litigation.

Board Certified Civil Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

KARA L. REEVES

Born Plainview, Texas, June 3, 1976. Admitted to bar, 2001, Texas.

Education: Texas Tech University (B.A., Magna Cum Laude, 1998; J.D., Cum Laude, 2001)

Member: Amarillo Bar Association; State Bar of Texas.

Practice Areas: Professional Liability; Medical Professional Liability; Products Liability; Personal Injury; Oil and Gas Litigation; Commercial Litigation; General Civil Litigation.

Not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

VANESSA G. BUZZARD

Born Pampa, Texas, June 17, 1953. Admitted to bar, 1978, Texas; admitted to practice in U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas.

Education: Texas Tech University (B.A., 1975, J.D. 1978)

Member: State Bar of Texas; American Bar Association; Gray County Bar Association; Amarillo Bar Association, Amarillo Area Estate Planning Council

Civic: First Presbyterian Church, Pampa, Texas, Elder, Trustee (1991-1993); David D. and Nona Payne Foundation, Trustee, President (1993 to present); Pampa Lovett Library Foundation, Trustee (1990 to present), President (1998-1999); Lovett Memorial Library Board (1990 to present), Secretary (1992), President (1993); Texas Tech Alumni Association of Pampa, Board of Directors.

Practice Areas: Probate, Estate and Trust Administration; Estate Planning; Real Estate; Contracts; Business Organizations; Banking; Oil and Gas Law.

LIBERTY D. LAY

Born Clovis, New Mexico February 13, 1976. Admitted to bar, 2004, Texas.

Education: Baylor University (B.A. 1997, J.D. 2004) Texas Tech University (M.A. 1999)

Member: State Bar of Texas; Amarillo Bar Association

Practice Areas: General